Title game fits veteran vs. phenom

Published: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 07:15 PM.

For Butler, tonight’s game is a chance for additional validation for the winning team.

“This is (for the title) for 30 teams in Triple-A,” Butler said. “It’s all about winning.”

-- EXTRA BASES …: Former big-league manager Jack McKeon of Elon attended Monday’s workouts. He said he was there to see, among others, veteran broadcaster George Grande and former major-league pitcher Jim Kaat, who’ll join Grande for tonight’s telecast. ... International League and Pacific Coast League teams have split the first six national title games. This is the first time the championship game is being held east of the Mississippi River. Durham was a pre-determined site, with the bid awarded in the summer of 2011. … Reno is the designated home team tonight based on the Pacific Coast League winning the Triple-A All-Star Game in July.

DURHAM — Whatever way you look at it, there’s a big-league element to tonight’s Triple-A National Championship game — whether it’s 38-year-old Nelson Figueroa pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox or 21-year-old Trevor Bauer throwing for the Reno Aces.

So it’s the veteran with several big-league stops to his credit and the young prospect.

Figueroa has a career worth of stories to tell, and a background that includes being released twice within the past year.

Bauer was the third overall draft pick in June 2011, making a quick rise through the ranks. About a year after he was drafted, he was pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks before he was sent back to Reno for more seasoning.

“He was 4 years old when I was drafted by the New York Mets,” Figueroa said Monday as the teams held workouts at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which is the site for tonight’s winner-take-all title game. “You can throw the ages out. I’m a kid at heart.”

Figueroa lives in Arizona, so he said he has been a witness to the speculation and hype surrounding Bauer’s emerging career. The two right-handers said they’re honored to be selected by their organizations to head to the mound in the last game of the minor-league season.

“I like to be on the field when everything is on the line,” Bauer said. “I like being out there when the pressure is on.”

Bauer pitched in the Southern League championship series last year, helping his team to the title in the Class AA circuit.

Figueroa said he acknowledges that he’s in the twilight of his career, but he said he expects to be pitching again next year. He said he hopes a strong performance tonight will create some attention.

“For me to have this opportunity, it’s tremendous,” he said. “It’s one game for all the marbles. … You may never have this chance again. We’ve got one shot at it and let’s take advantage of it.”

Figueroa has pitched for seven major-league teams, with his first assignment with the Diamondbacks a dozen years ago. But he came up through the Mets organization, so appearing for the big-league Mets in 2008 was a special occasion for the Brooklyn native.

He said he has worn Dwight Gooden’s jersey and put on Howard Johnson’s pants in spring training, an indication of his history with the Mets organization.

“Most 38-year-olds are sitting on the couch watching,” he said. “This journey has not been for nothing.”

In many ways, Figueroa is the type of pitching commodity every team needs.

“You have to have some experienced guys in the AL East to compete and some depth,” Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler said, referring to the parent Boston Red Sox. “Our job is to have our guys ready when they need them.”

Bauer was thrilled to be in Durham. He told a series of stories about his devotion as a fan of Duke basketball and he plans to return for next month’s “Countdown to Craziness” preseason event on campus.

As a college player, he helped UCLA reach the College World Series. Further, Bauer pitched in the stadium being used for tonight’s game when he played for USA Baseball in 2009.

Beyeler said he saw Bauer throw as part of the Futures Game activities in July.

“It’s fun to see those guys throw,” Beyeler said. “You just hate to see them throw against you.”

Bauer’s arsenal includes a 98 mph fastball and a pitch described as a reverse slider.

“Trevor Bauer is a big-league pitcher,” Reno manager Brett Butler said. “He has got three or four big-league pitches. … The bottom line is he knows how to pitcher.”

For Butler, tonight’s game is a chance for additional validation for the winning team.

“This is (for the title) for 30 teams in Triple-A,” Butler said. “It’s all about winning.”

-- EXTRA BASES …: Former big-league manager Jack McKeon of Elon attended Monday’s workouts. He said he was there to see, among others, veteran broadcaster George Grande and former major-league pitcher Jim Kaat, who’ll join Grande for tonight’s telecast. ... International League and Pacific Coast League teams have split the first six national title games. This is the first time the championship game is being held east of the Mississippi River. Durham was a pre-determined site, with the bid awarded in the summer of 2011. … Reno is the designated home team tonight based on the Pacific Coast League winning the Triple-A All-Star Game in July.